Improvement in corn-shellers



. 2 h p .1. 11 JOHNSTON. Seats Sheet1- Corn Shellen Patented April 19, 1859.

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J. J. JOHNSTON.

Corn Shel ler.

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No. 23,687. Patented April 19, 1859.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIcE.

JAMES J. JOHNSTON, OF ALLEGHENY, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT lN CORN-SHELLERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 23,687, dated April 19, 1859.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES J. JOHNSTON, of the city and county of Allegheny, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Oorn-Shellers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, similar letters referring to similar parts.

The nature of my invention consists in the combination and arrangement of shellingdisks with a guard-plate, guide, and spring or press plate operating together,in the manner hereinafter described.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the outside of the cornsheller. Fig. 2 is a cut or sectional view. Fig. 3 is a cut or sectional view. Fig. 4c is a perspective view of, the spring or press plate. Fig. 5 is a side and face view of the teeth, full size. Fig. 6 is a face view of the guard-plate. Fig. 7 is a broken section of the guard-plate. Fig.8 is a perspective view of the guide-plate.

a. is the frame of the sheller.

b is the feed-opening.

c is the large and concave disk.

d is the small and convex disk..

f is the driving-pulley.

c is a crank, represented by the dotted lines.

The dotted red lines 9 represent an opening, which may be made in the end of the easing or frame a, for the purpose of carrying out the cobs by means of a suitable chute, thereby separating the cobs from the shelled corn.

m are the axles of the disks 0 and d.

h is the guide-plate, which is placed above the axle of the large disk and below the axle of the small disk.

is is the spring-plate, which is used for pressin g the ears of corn against the disks by means of the spiral spring 6. This spring-plate may be made in two parts, the upper part not extending beyond the center of the large disk. In the lower or small end of the spring-plate 7c are three angling grooves resembling the segments of three concave or female screws. The object of these grooves is to retard the forward movement of the ear and cause it to revolve a number of times before it is thrown out from between the spring-plate and disks.

t are the flanges furnished with cogs.

The flange, disk, and axle are cast in one piece, the large disk being made slightly concave to prevent its warping in casting and the small disk being made convex for the purpose of shelling the corn from the points or butts of the ears. The flanges t are used for the purpose of separating the disks, so as to allow a part of the guard-platej to cover and protect the cogs from the loosened grain, which, getting between the cogs, would stop the machine. The guard-platej covers the upper part of the flange and cogs on the disk 0 and covers all of the flange and cogs on the disk 01 and is secured to the frame by the lugs 0. The teeth on the disks are so arranged as to cause the ear to revolve and be carried forward along the guide-plate h. I represent one-sixth of each disk as furnished with teeth. (See Fig. 2.) These teeth are placed on the disks at the intersection of the red and blue lines, their faces being placed parallel with the red lines.

The following is the manner of laying out the disks so as to bring the teeth in their proper position: The disks are divided into six equal parts by lines radiating from the center to the circumference, these dividinglines and the arc of each division being divided into an equal number of spaces an inch, or thereabout, in length. The lines are then drawn from one point to the other, as repre sented at B, Fig. 2.

The operation of my improved sheller is as follows: The ear of corn is fed in at b and is carried by the large disk 0 up against the part a: of *theguide-plate h. As represented by the dotted red lines 1, Fig. 2, it is carried along the part at: until it passes the center of the disk 0. It is then carried down, as seen in Fig. 2 at'the dotted red lines 2, and comes in contact with the bottom part of guide-plate h, and is carried along this guide-plate, as represented at 3, Fig. 2, until it comes in contact with the small and convex disk d. This disk will pick the corn off the point or butt of the ear, the grooves in the spring-plate 70 causing the ear to revolve a sufficient num her of times to allow all parts of it to come disks or shelling-wheelsc anddwith the guard in conmetwith the teeth on the face of the j, guide h, and spring or press plate is, condisk.

st-ructed and operating in the manner and for Having thus described the nature, constructhe purpose specified.

tion, and operation of my invention, What I JAMES J. JOHNSTON. claim as of my invention, and desire to secure Witnesses: by Letters Patent of the United States, is- ALEANDER HAYS,

The combination and arrangement of the l JAS. B. JOHNSTON. 

